Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-2 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Jonas et al., US9985426 (hereinafter referred to as Jonas).
In regards to claim 1, Jonas teaches a superconducting magnet device (superconducting persistent magnet 200; [Title] & [Fig. 2]) comprising: a superconducting coil (conductive coil 230; [Fig. 2]); and a Joule heat generating element (energy dump unit 250; [Fig. 2]) that is connected in parallel (implicit; [Fig. 2]) to the superconducting coil and is cooled (crystat 210 as a heat sink; [Col. 10, Ln. 21-25]) to a cooling temperature (insulation region 212b; [Col. 6, Ln. 34-41]) higher than the superconducting coil during an operation (operating; [Col. 4, Ln. 10-12]) of the superconducting coil (Examiner’s Note: The energy dump unit 250 is thermally conductive to the crystat 210 which is the barrier surrounding the region 212b. Jonas teaches the insulation region to be 50K at the lowest, while the inner chamber 220 is less than the lower end temperature of the region 212a temperatures at 4.2K. 50K is higher than 4.2K).
In regards to claim 2, Jonas teaches the superconducting magnet device according to claim 1, further comprising: a cryocooler (cryostat 210; [Fig. 2]) including a first cooling stage (insulation region 212b; [Fig. 2]) that is thermally coupled (directly connected to cryostat 210; [Col. 10, Ln. 21-25]) to the Joule heat generating element and cooled to a first cooling temperature (50K; [Col. 6, Ln. 34-41]), and a second cooling stage (inner chamber 220; [Fig. 2]) that is thermally coupled (implicit; [Fig. 2]) to the superconducting coil and cooled to a second cooling temperature (4.2K; [Col. 6, Ln. 32-41]) lower than the first cooling temperature (implicit, 4.2K is less than 50K).
In regards to claim 5, Jonas teaches wherein the Joule heat generating element includes a non-linear resistor (one diode; [Col. 9, Ln. 20-23]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 3-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jonas et al., US9985426 (hereinafter referred to as Jonas) in view of Tsuchiya et al., US7196883 (hereinafter referred to as Tsuchiya.
In regards to claim 3, Jonas does not teach wherein the superconducting coil includes a plurality of superconducting coil portions connected in series to form the superconducting coil, the superconducting magnet device includes a plurality of the Joule heat generating elements, and each of the plurality of Joule heat generating elements is connected in parallel to a corresponding superconducting coil portion among the plurality of superconducting coil portions.
Tsuchiya teaches wherein the superconducting coil includes a plurality of superconducting coil portions (x4 of superconducting coils 40, 42, 44, & 46; [Fig. 1]) connected in series (implicit; [Fig. 1]) to form the superconducting coil, the superconducting magnet device includes a plurality of the Joule heat generating elements (x4 each of resistive heaters 60, 62, 64, & 66 and diodes 702, 722, 742, & 762; [Fig. 1]), and each of the plurality of Joule heat generating elements is connected in parallel (implicit; [Fig. 1]) to a corresponding superconducting coil portion among the plurality of superconducting coil portions.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Jonas in order to incorporate wherein the superconducting coil includes a plurality of superconducting coil portions connected in series to form the superconducting coil, the superconducting magnet device includes a plurality of the Joule heat generating elements, and each of the plurality of Joule heat generating elements is connected in parallel to a corresponding superconducting coil portion among the plurality of superconducting coil portions as taught by Tsuchiya. The plurality of heat generating elements would substitute the “one or more diodes and/or resistors” taught within the energy dump unit 250 by Jonas. The motivation would be to improve the design to be incorporated into an MRI design which requires multiple coils in series.
In regards to claim 4, Jonas teaches the superconducting magnet device according to claim 3, further comprising: a high-temperature superconducting current lead (leads 203 & 204, made of copper; [Col. 7, Ln. 15-17]) that connects the Joule heat generating element and the corresponding superconducting coil portion (implicit; [Fig. 2]) (Examiner’s Note: One skilled in the art would know a lead made of copper is capable of handling high-temperatures.).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. JP2015142044A is another prior art that teaches of the leads capable of withstanding high-temperatures.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMANTHA L FAUBERT whose telephone number is (703)756-1311. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8AM - 5PM.
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SAMANTHA LYNETTE FAUBERT
Examiner
Art Unit 2836
/CRYSTAL L HAMMOND/Supervisory Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838